[font="times new roman"]Every girl longs to date the most handsome, popular guy in school, and I was no exception. In the eighth grade, my dream came true. The most sought after boy in school became interested in me. After a few weeks of flirting and talking on the phone, he and I decided to become a couple. All the girls at school wanted to be in my shoes. I felt on top of the world, that is, until peer pressure forced me to sacrifice something I can never get back – my virginity.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]My mother and I always had frank sex discussions that touched upon such issues as responsibility, self respect, trust, love, pregnancy, and diseases. I understood my mother’s reasons for wanting me to practice abstinence, but when it came to being on the arm of the person I thought was “the man,” everything my mother said to me was overshadowed by my desire to be wanted, accepted, and envied. After a month or so of dating, my boyfriend began pressuring me about taking our relationship to the next level. He indicated that he loved me, wanted to be with me, and would never hurt me. I was very apprehensive, but when you are 13 years old, words like love and want ring like sweet nothings in your ear. My friends also told me that if I did not have sex with my boyfriend, I would lose him to some other girl. I liked having the cute boyfriend that everyone wanted, so I gave in to peer pressure and had sex with my boyfriend. [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]The whole ordeal was horrible. It truly was something I was not ready for physically, mentally, and emotionally. My boyfriend broke up with me two weeks after our encounter – after he got what he wanted. Not only did he break up with me, he told everyone in school what we did, how we did it, and rated my performance. I spent the next few months feeling guilty, ashamed, and embarrassed. I skipped school because I was the laughing stock. I was so hurt I did the only thing I could. I confided in my mother. She and I cried together and after a few hours of her screaming expletives and threatening to do bodily harm to the boy, she reiterated what she outlined in past talks. She didn’t use the words, “I told you so!” but the words strangely hovered over my head. [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]This experience impacted me both positively and negatively. It has impacted me positively because I now have a greater respect for my mother. She is my best friend. I can talk to her about anything. She has my best interest at heart, and it took for me to make a bad decision to understand. Also, I learned about people and their motives. You cannot trust everyone and your expectations may not be the same as others, as people come from different backgrounds and have different morals, values, and standards. [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]This experience impacted me negatively because my privacy was violated. Everyone knew what I had done, and I had to work to restore my reputation. Perception is a very powerful thing. Moreover, I did something that opened a door to a new world that I was not ready for – gynecologists, pap smears, pregnancy tests, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases. [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]I am now seventeen years old and after a lot of hard work, therapy, and countless talks with my mother, I am happy with my life again. I can hold my head high again and live with the choice I made four years ago. Sex is an act of love and should be experienced by mature people who are in love. I gave away a cherished thing that can never be replaced. My choice to have sex was a result of peer pressure and if given the chance, I would change this instance by uttering one word – NO!!!![/font]